Nerlens Noel's time at Kentucky was cut short by an ACL injury, but he's hoping to be ready early in the 2013-14 NBA season. / Kim Klement, USA TODAY Sports

by Alex Kennedy, USA TODAY Sports

by Alex Kennedy, USA TODAY Sports

As Nerlens Noel arrives at the JW Marriott in Chicago, a rush of excitement comes over the hotel lobby. The big man with a high-top fade steps out of a car, and he's swarmed almost immediately.

Autograph seekers who were camped out near the revolving doors for most of the day sprint in Noel's direction with pens extended. News reporters make their way over to the entrance to mingle with him. Representatives from a trading card company cut him off, hoping to sign him to an exclusive card deal worth thousands of dollars. After several minutes, Noel's former Kentucky teammate Archie Goodwin spots him from across the room, makes his way over for a bearhug and pulls him away.

All of this occurred before Noel had a chance to check in or put down his bags. That's the life of the likely No. 1 overall draft pick. Everyone wants a piece of him.

Over the last few years, Noel went from being a shy high school kid who openly rooted for the Boston Celtics to being a household name and projected NBA star. Noel, who turned 19 in April, has gotten used to the new lifestyle and increased attention.

"I definitely feel that I'm handling it well," Noel says. "From high school to now, I think I've done a good job of getting used to it and not letting it get to my head at all. I'm just staying focused and keeping my eyes on the prize."

The prize, of course, is hearing NBA Commissioner David Stern announce his name atop the 2013 draft. Noel has worked all his life to make it to the NBA, and it should pay off June 27. The only difference between his childhood dreams and his actual draft night might be that Noel never imagined he would be coming off of a major injury and walking gingerly as he approached the draft stage to shake Stern's hand.

Hustling to the end

Feb. 12, Noel sprinted down the court in pursuit of Florida guard Mike Rosario, who had leaked out in transition. He had a few steps on Noel, but the big man showed why he's such an intriguing prospect by chasing down Rosario and swatting the ball out of bounds. After the block, Noel landed awkwardly below the basket, tearing the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee and ending his brief collegiate career.

He had surgery March 12 and is going through a grueling rehabilitation. He recently moved to Alabama so he could be near his physical therapist, Kevin Wilk, and he's trying to get healthy so that he can make his NBA debut as early as possible in the 2013-14 season.

"I'm feeling good," Noel says. "I'm still ahead of schedule with the things that I'm doing. It's usually about a seven- to eight-month injury timeline to returning. I'm just taking steps to get back. From when I got surgery, eight months would be probably around Christmas. It's probably November to Christmas. There's no rush. I'm just trying to get back."

Two former Kentucky stars - Rajon Rondo and Derek Anderson - have helped Noel as he completes his rehab. Noel met with Rondo, the Boston Celtics' All-Star point guard, the day after his surgery, and Rondo let him know what to expect because he had the same surgery by the same doctor (James Andrews) exactly one month before Noel. Anderson, a former NBA player, also tore an ACL in his final season at Kentucky. Despite the injury, Anderson was selected with a lottery pick in the 1997 NBA draft and played 11 seasons in the league.

Every talent evaluator around the league understands he is incredibly raw and requires work but has all of the physical gifts - 7-foot frame, 7-foot-5 wingspan, 9-foot-2 standing reach - to be a star. He has all of the necessary intangibles. Impeccable timing? Check. Natural instincts? Check. Unwavering competitive nature? Check. Insane work ethic? Check.

In recent years, Noel has shown glimpses of that budding greatness. As a high school star, he once recorded 22 blocked shots in a game, and he drew comparisons to NBA legend Bill Russell. With the Wildcats, he was on pace to set the NCAA's single-season record for blocks, and he had a 12-block performance vs. Mississippi four games before his injury. Noel knows what he's capable of becoming, and he wants to make sure he not only meets all expectations but also exceeds them. He won't be satisfied with being a good player in the NBA; he wants to be one of the league's elite.

"I definitely feel that way," Noel says. "I know it will take a lot of work, but I definitely want to put the time and work in to be one of the top players in the NBA. That's a dream come true, and I'll definitely take advantage of it, so I definitely feel that I can become one of them and reach my full potential."

One player Noel has modeled his game after is Kevin Garnett. He used to pretend he was Garnett when playing against his two older brothers, Jim and Rodman, and his father, Yonel, in their Boston-area backyard. He still studies Garnett's game.

"I definitely try to watch Kevin Garnett a lot, and I definitely try to model my game after him," Noel says. "I try to play how he plays, especially on defense and especially his passionate nature."

Noel must continue to develop his game to duplicate Garnett's success. However, that will be easier than ever going forward. For the first time in his life, Noel will be able to focus solely on basketball and have the best resources in the world at his disposal.

"There will be no excuse to not progress the way that I want to progress," Noel says. "Basketball will be the No. 1 priority. That will be my main focus, and it's going to take up most of my time. I'll be able to really work on it as a craft and bring my development along."

Difficult decision

While Noel is excited to begin his NBA journey, it wasn't easy giving up his Wildcats career. In fact, he considered staying at Kentucky for his sophomore season before declaring for the draft.

"I had thoughts about it after my injury, just like anybody who had an injury like that," Noel says. "But I sat down with my family and made a decision. With modern medicine today, it wasn't that bad of an injury, so I made the decision to leave."

Even though Noel decided to leave school, the Kentucky family has been supportive and helpful as he prepares for the NBA. Not only were Rondo and Anderson there for Noel after his injury, Kentucky coach John Calipari and former Wildcats star Anthony Davis have also guided Noel as he tries to navigate the predraft process.

Calipari was the main reason Noel attended UK. He knew he would be playing for a coach who knows how to prepare players for the NBA. Many of Calipari's players have been drafted high and had success in the league, including Marcus Camby, Derrick Rose, Tyreke Evans and John Wall.

Noel was confident he could do the same with Calipari's help.

"He's definitely helped me and given me a lot of insight on things," Noel says. "He's also telling me what to expect and that I have to work hard in rehab to get back even stronger than I was before so that when I get to the league I can really make a difference right away, coming back from this injury.

"I learned so much at Kentucky, especially from Coach Cal. He's the ultimate coach, and he just taught me so much, on and off the court. He really taught me how to love to work, how to bring it every day, how to work hard and how to realize my full potential. I think I definitely made a lot of progress on (the offensive) side of the floor. It's really come a long way with my trainer and my coaching staff really helping me and really pushing me all the time in practice. They really brought my game along and developed me in a lot of different ways."

Noel and Davis became close friends two years ago, and the two have been communicating a lot as the draft approaches. Davis, who was drafted No. 1 overall last year by the New Orleans Pelicans, knows what Noel is going through. He has been preparing his protégé for life in the NBA. Davis even showed up at the draft combine in Chicago and met with Noel as he got ready for interviews with teams.

"I have talked to him, and he has just told me that the NBA is a grind," Noel says. "He told me that you have to make sure you're just as prepared mentally as you are physically. You just have to make sure that you're prepared for anything."

Noel is certainly prepared for one thing - to be the No. 1 overall pick in this year's draft.

"I feel I should be the top pick, because I'm a great teammate, I really care about where I'm going to play and I'm going to give all my heart and 100% effort to get my team back to the promised land, which is where we all want to be," Noel said. "I'm just going to contribute my best and give all my effort."

Alex Kennedy also writes for Hoopsworld.com, a property of the USA TODAY Sports Media Group.